New Wilson County Sheriff Robert Bryan, who took over for Terry Ashe at the end of last year, gave his first speech to the Mt. Juliet Chamber of Commerce luncheon Wednesday.

“I can guarantee you my speech won’t be as long as his [Ashe],” joked Bryan to start his speech.

Bryan said the transition to new leadership has been good for the department. Ashe had held the post for 30 years. He talked about how when Metro has a push to stop crime on the east side of Davidson County, it pushes some crime into Wilson County.

“So we get aggressive and push right back,” said Bryan.

He spoke of the recent car burglaries in neighborhoods along Saundersville Road. All 28 cars that were broken into had their doors unlocked and many had items like iPads, phones and other expensive items inside.

Bryan also talked about how there is now a School Resource Officer in every school, and how important it is for the safety of our children. He said they worked together with the County Commission and the School Board to get the measure passed.

“We made it happen because it needed to be done,” said Bryan.

The biggest challenge facing law enforcement in the county is the growth, which brings more crime along with it.